Kiss Me
by truevindication
Summary: *FINISHED!* It was one of the most ridiculous commands she had ever heard. "Kiss me." - Tiva. How does she respond? Choose your own ending!
1. Kiss me

It was one of the most ridiculous commands she had ever heard.

"Kiss me."

Two simple words that made her jaw drop and she was truly, for the first time, speechless.

He had showed up on her doorstep, soaking wet from the thunderstorm raging outside. His hair was slightly matted to his forehead, and he was definitely out of breath. His jeans were completely soaked, giving them the darkest of the blue color. His sweatshirt, apparently originally a light gray, was a dark shade as well, not a dry spot to be seen.

The knocking at her door was unusual at ten o'clock at night, but she had been up reading in the living room anyway, the TV on quietly in the background. Through the peephole she saw Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo in a very ragged state. Fearing the worst she opened the door hurriedly. She expected him to tell her of some dramatic happening with one of their friends, her mind running through a dozen scenarios at once.

"Kiss me," he got out in-between his breaths.

He didn't smell like he had been drinking, though it could be argued that he definitely had the crazy eyes as if he had. He stood, staring at her, with his hands at his side as if he hadn't just said the most ludicrous thing in the world she could hear in the middle of the night. Her brow was furrowed, mouth hanging slightly open. She still had one hand on the door, which she now used to support as she half-leaned on it out of confusion.

"What-?" She wasn't even sure if she said the full word.

"Kiss me." He stared at her and it seemed as if not a muscle in her body flinched. "Ziva, I'm serious."

"No you're not, you're drunk." She immediately regretted saying this, kind of like waking a sleepwalker, you never should correct a drunk because they're already irrational. He just laughed, holding his hands up and spinning around.

"I am not drunk!" the huge grin on his face confused her even more, his actions not matching up with his words. He stopped himself, took a deep breath and dropped his hands to his sides once more then crossing them loosely across his chest. "I told you before, I'm tired of pretending. And right now, at this very moment, I want to stop." He looked in to her apartment, and she nodded slightly and stepped aside and he walked in. "I can't explain it, I could speak 50 languages and not find the right words." He turned to face her. She had closed the door but not taken a single step. "I know I seem crazy right now, I get it, I do. But I can't keep acting like I'm okay when I'm not. I can't act like I'm happy when I'm not. I said once that I couldn't live without you, but where we are right now, how we are, I can't live with you either."

"Tony, I…"

"No, see, that's not how this works," he grinned as he cut her off, "I don't want an explanation. At this point I don't need one. I get it. I've tried to talk to you about this before and all I hear are your alibis, but I'm getting this feeling now… We've tried the talking before, Ziva, and it didn't get us anywhere. So kiss me." He took only half a breath, "or I'll walk out that door and I'm done with holding on. But you better kiss me, cause you're going to miss me when I'm gone."

Definitely one of the most ridiculous commands she had ever been given.


	2. Very Important Author's Note

**** AUTHOR'S NOTE ** MUST READ FIRST****

Okay, so firstly, thank you for reading! I haven't written in almost a year, and my job right now gives me a lot of alone time for personal projects so I decided to get back to this! I originally wrote this as a one-shot because that's as far as the plot bunnies would take me. I like to put songs on repeat and just see what happens, and that's what came out! Because you asked so nicely I've decided to write two more chapters. THE STORY RUNS AS A TWO-CHAPTER READ. That being said, YOU, dear reader, get to choose your outcome!

To read Tony get rejected, read the NEXT chapter.

To have Ziva respond by kissing Tony, read the LAST chapter.

(thanks for pointing out the switcheroo error!)

If you read then back to back they will NOT make the same story. Two chapters, two different endings.

What can I say, I'm of the R.L Stein choose-your-ending generation. (Brownie points for those who understand the reference.)

_Please feel free to leave as much feedback as you like, I really do take it to heart. And please go check out my other stories! Those not complete I am back in the processing of finishing now so they will be completed within the month. Thanks again for reading!_


	3. Choice 1 Ending

**Author's note: This is ONE OF THE CHOICES of how to end this story. The next chapter is an alternate ending. What can I say, I'm a people pleaser. (: Enjoy.**

_"No, see, that's not how this works," he grinned as he cut her off, "I don't want an explanation. At this point I don't need one. I get it. I've tried to talk to you about this before and all I hear are your alibis, but I'm getting this feeling now… We've tried the talking before, Ziva, and it didn't get us anywhere. So kiss me." He took only half a breath, "or I'll walk out that door and I'm done with holding on. But you better kiss me, cause you're going to miss me when I'm gone."_

She almost let him walk away. Out of pure, shocked silence she almost let him walk out that door. He had turned slightly, his smile faltering. He nodded slightly, trying not to show pain that ran up and down his veins.

"It's okay. I had to try, right?" He tilted his head towards her, taking a step back. "Forget it, just… it'll be okay." He took a step back, turning to walk down the hall.

"Tony, wait," she stopped him after a few steps. She couldn't let him just walk away like this. He turned, but didn't walk back towards her. Her ears were ringing, her chest pounding. She had to make a decision right then, she knew. She racked her brain for words, but knew words weren't what he wanted.

"I'm here," he said softly, taking the few steps back towards her. "Your move." He took her hands in his softly, letting them hang in the small distance between them. She stared at their joined hands, forcing her brain to work, trying to make her body move.

She pulled her hands from his, moving cautiously. In a single motion she closed the half step gap between them, placing her left hand on his shoulder, her right tenderly cupping his cheek. She felt him tremble slightly at anticipation of her touch. She closed her eyes, standing almost on her toes, not remembering him seeming so tall. The distance between them was miniscule; she could feel his breathing slow. The heat radiated from his cheeks to hers. Her lips touched his cheek softly, lingering at the contact.

He realized out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

As she pulled away from him slowly she left her hands where they were. He didn't move. Their eyes locked, hers were begging forgiveness, his seemed so empty.

"I am sorry, Tony." She dropped both of her hands to his once more. "My heart's the only part of me that's not in love with you."

He forced a small smile, squeezing her hands, trying to feign understanding. He lifted her hands to his lips, not breaking their eye contact, kissing her knuckles softly.

"It's okay," he said, not really meaning it, "you can lead a heart to love, but I can't make you fall."

And with that he turned quietly and walked down the hallway, forcing himself not to look back.

She took the few steps back in the door, not able to tear her eyes away from his disappearing form. When he was finally gone she closed the door softly, one hand still on the doorknob, the other beside the peephole. Her forehead came to rest on the door, letting out a long sigh.

Her head was still spinning, her heart aching from sending away this man in such a bold move. Collecting herself, she shook her head slightly, frustrated with the entire scenario.

"Mi ohev otach yoter mimeni?" she whispered to no one before turning to go to bed.

A/N: Okay, so technically still Tiva, just… rejection status Tiva. Please let me know what you think. My Hebrew is a little rusty, so I apologize if I got the line wrong. It's supposed to read "who loves you more than I do?" At least I'm pretty sure. (: I got it from a Hebrew song I had downloaded long ago to immerse myself in the language… Anyway, let me know what you think!


	4. Choice 2 Ending

Her mouth was dry and her head spun. She was sure this had to be some sort of cruel joke; some sort of drunken gesture. Her mind flooded with different possible responses.

_You are ridiculous, goodnight._

_No, Tony, what have you been drinking?_

_Rule twelve._

_We must talk about this first._

She needed something clever to say to fill the void, but she knew he would not let her speak.

He was right: they had tried to have this conversation many times before. When Gibbs left to Mexico. When they came back from Paris. After they had both tried new love, and lost. Every time they tried to talk about it they never got to the point they wanted to be; separately or together. Somehow it seemed like words did no more than clutter their lives with confusion. Maybe this was the easiest way. Maybe they should stop trying to test the waters and just dive in head first, into the deep end.

He stared and waited for her response for what seemed like hours. The residual signs of a grin still looked back at her. His eyes were soft and lacked the urgency he spoke with, as if he were trying to make a point not to scare her off. She took a few breaths to calm herself, all the while not breaking eye-contact with the brave, if not slightly insane, man in front of her.

Could this really be playing out? A former assassin and a All-American goofball? She did not question her feelings for him anymore, though at a point in a time she thought her interest in him would just be a passing fad. On the contrary, her love for her partner grew from small smiles; playful teasing and most importantly, that he had always looked out for her. He let her make her own mistakes when it came to men, career and growing into her own person.

She took a step forward and raised her hand to his eyes, covering them as he followed suit in closing them slowly. He stood there, not moving, not forcing her hand either way. She was tempted, as mean as it was, to turn and go inside, leaving him there. He would not have to watch her walk away from him, she mused, which may be the hardest part. Instead, she took his face in both her hands and met their lips gently. Her hands fell to his shoulders, his finding their way to her hips, holding her close.

The taste of his lips was intoxicating. Though his hands held her close, his lips were unpresuming, giving her full control. This time her head spun for a different reason. Her entire body felt flush, and if he were not holding her she was sure she would not have held herself up. She pulled away slowly and felt him shudder beneath her hands. She watched him open his eyes to hers, and they were already brighter. He gave her a huge smile and tightened his hold on her quickly once more, as if to make sure she was still there.

She tried to suppress her smile almost shyly, and let out a soft laugh. Though she knew her feelings were deep for this man, she did not expect to be acting like some flustered high school teenager. She turned her body slightly to open the door, and when she turned around he had pulled away from her completely. Hurt and confusion flashed in her eyes at once, thinking she had been played somehow.

Noticing this he stepped towards her once more, hand on each side of her face, he tilted her head towards his and kiss the top of her forehead, pulling away with a smile. He made a move to leave again, and turned to her, speaking gently.

"Baby steps, my ninja," with a smile and a wink he turned to walk down the hall. She could swear his step had a little more bounce as he walked away, and as much as she wanted to stop him, her mouth formed no words.

He was giving her space. He was giving her time.

And in the morning, she knew right then what her first two words to him would be.

A/N: Apologies! My work schedule gives me just enough time to post and crash out before my next shift. Sadly I wasn't able to double check and made sure this posted! Also, thanks to the reader who pointed out my error of confusing the two chapter orders! (: Please review and tell me what you think!


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